Clara Lemon [email_address] “ I have to plan, I have to make serious and long term decisions that will affect education in my local authority for the next 20 – 50 years – but I haven’t got any tools to help me think that far ahead” (Local Authority Education Advisor) www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk

Thinking about ‘the future’ in education can be… Tricky/ Time constrained … I haven’t got time to think about the future, I’m just trying to get through today Tacit & invisible ‘ this is what happened in the past, this is what we’re doing now’ Taken for granted ‘ the future knowledge economy of the 21 st century’ Technologically determinist ‘ futuristic schools’ (building on Noel Gough, 1990) www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk

Tricky/ Time constrained

… I haven’t got time to think about the future, I’m just trying to get through today

Tacit & invisible

‘ this is what happened in the past, this is what we’re doing now’

Taken for granted

‘ the future knowledge economy of the 21 st century’

Technologically determinist

‘ futuristic schools’

(building on Noel Gough, 1990)

I’m busy – so why think about the world in 2025? What is this all for? Who is education for? Preparing children now for the world they will enter as young adults? Inform your current actions and plans BSF has long-term implications, decisions we make now will shape 2025 Create your preferred futures We are agents in the future that is created, what do you want to avoid? What do you want to create? Systematic thinking informing current actions Looking at evidence and trends now we can project what possible futures might come about Test plans and strategies against possible futures Support informed actions www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk

What is this all for?

Who is education for?

Preparing children now for the world they will enter as young adults?

Inform your current actions and plans

BSF has long-term implications, decisions we make now will shape 2025

Create your preferred futures

We are agents in the future that is created, what do you want to avoid? What do you want to create?

Systematic thinking informing current actions

Looking at evidence and trends now we can project what possible futures might come about

Test plans and strategies against possible futures

Support informed actions

Resist the temptation of ‘predictions’ Challenge taken-for-granted assumptions about ‘the future’ Explore and understand a very wide range of real future possibilities Understand which factors might cause these potential futures to come to pass Develop plans and strategies that are sustainable in multiple potential futures Consider the potential implications of actions now on possible futures Beyond Current Horizons programme – building the capacity of UK educators to … to systematically investigate futures www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk

Resist the temptation of ‘predictions’

Challenge taken-for-granted assumptions about ‘the future’

Explore and understand a very wide range of real future possibilities

Understand which factors might cause these potential futures to come to pass

Develop plans and strategies that are sustainable in multiple potential futures

Consider the potential implications of actions now on possible futures

How would your strategy work if...? There was a dramatically aging population in the not too distant future? If migration trends demanded different staffing or curriculum? Multi-generational workforces were more prevalent www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk

There was a dramatically aging population in the not too distant future?

If migration trends demanded different staffing or curriculum?

Multi-generational workforces were more prevalent

Educational goals Educational ‘personnel’ Educational institutions Educational methods Educational tools Educational outcomes Beliefs about education To inform and question... www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk

Educational goals

Educational ‘personnel’

Educational institutions

Educational methods

Educational tools

Educational outcomes

Beliefs about education

The BCH programme is aiming to build a challenging and long term vision for education in the context of socio-technological change 2025 and beyond Long term futures programme intended to Enhance the ‘futures thinking’ capacity of the UK education system Inform current strategy, decision making and planning Futurelab are running the programme in partnership with DCSF www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk

The BCH programme is aiming to build a challenging and long term vision for education in the context of socio-technological change 2025 and beyond

Long term futures programme intended to

Enhance the ‘futures thinking’ capacity of the UK education system

Inform current strategy, decision making and planning

Futurelab are running the programme in partnership with DCSF

Free tools and resources for education leaders Scenarios of possible futures Based on 2 years of consultation and expertise Made relevant to education communities Toolkit of resources to support education leaders with long-term planning Research bank of trends and evidence Coming May 2009 www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk

Scenarios of possible futures

Based on 2 years of consultation and expertise

Made relevant to education communities

Toolkit of resources to support education leaders with long-term planning

Research bank of trends and evidence

Coming May 2009

6 scenarios - possible future worlds We are bringing to life 6 possible future scenarios based on 2 years of research into trends and evidence So what if... performance through smart drugs may require a trade off with creativity and originality fertility rate that is below the replacement level and high levels of inward migration lead to ... we have multi-generational workforces by 2030 half the population are over 50 What might this mean for education? www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk

We are bringing to life 6 possible future scenarios based on 2 years of research into trends and evidence

So what if...

performance through smart drugs may require a trade off with creativity and originality

fertility rate that is below the replacement level and high levels of inward migration lead to ...

we have multi-generational workforces

by 2030 half the population are over 50

What might this mean for education?

What if... Visioning tools Write your school vision Test your plans/strategy Workshop activities 6 possible futures Challenging trends Image ideas gallery PowerPoint of inspiration From vision to plan Prioritise now Case studies BSF www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk Free toolkit to support long-term planning in education

What if... Visioning tools

Write your school vision

Test your plans/strategy

Workshop activities

6 possible futures

Challenging trends

Image ideas gallery

PowerPoint of inspiration

From vision to plan

Prioritise now

Case studies

BSF

Free toolkit to support long-term planning and change in education What sorts of learning spaces might be needed? What curriculum? Free resources, workshop materials and activities, inspiration and consensus building materials Practical, useful, online, printable and downloadable www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk

What sorts of learning spaces might be needed?

What curriculum?

Free resources, workshop materials and activities, inspiration and consensus building materials

Practical, useful, online, printable and downloadable

Inspiring and useful materials... Aimed at educational leadership Support for visioning, planning and consensus building workshops Inspirational scenarios, cards, images, challenging questions, provocative ideas School redesign Curriculum redesign Extended schools www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk

Aimed at educational leadership

Support for visioning, planning and consensus building workshops

Inspirational scenarios, cards, images, challenging questions, provocative ideas

School redesign

Curriculum redesign

Extended schools

Know more about 2025 in May 2009 www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk Thank you, : Clara Lemon [email_address]

www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk